Validation of the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and the Social Phobia Scale across the anxiety disorders.

The psychometric adequacy of the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS; R. P. Mattick & J. C. Clark, 1989), a measure of social interaction anxiety, and the Social Phobia Scale (SPS; R. P. Mattick & J. C. Clark, 1989), a measure of anxiety while being observed by others, was evaluated in anxious patients and normal controls. Social phobia patients scored higher on both scales and were more likely to be identified as having social phobia than other anxious patients (except for agoraphobic patients on the SPS) or controls. Clinician-rated severity of social phobia was moderately related to SIAS and SPS scores. Additional diagnoses of mood or panic disorder did not affect SIAS or SPS scores among social phobia patients, but an additional diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder was associated with SIAS scores. Number of reported feared social interaction situations was more highly correlated with scores on the SIAS, whereas number of reported feared performance situations was more highly correlated with scores on the SPS. These scales appear to be useful in screening, designing individualized treatments, and evaluating the outcomes of treatments for social phobia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Empirical Validation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale in Patients With Social Anxiety Disorder.

The Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (BFNE; M. R. Leary, 1983a) is often used to assess fear of negative evaluation, the core feature of social anxiety disorder. However, few studies have examined its psychometric properties in large samples of socially anxious patients. Although the BFNE yields a single total score, confirmatory factor analysis indicated a 2-factor solution to be more appropriate, with the 1st factor consisting of all straightforwardly worded items (BFNE-S) and the 2nd of all reverse-scored items (BFNE-R). Support was obtained for the convergent and discriminant validity of the BFNE and BFNE-S, but not the BFNE-R. These results suggest that standard scoring of the BFNE may not be optimal for patients with social anxiety disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Social Thoughts and Beliefs Scale: A New Inventory for Assessing Cognitions in Social Phobia.

Development and initial psychometric features of a new inventory to assess cognitions associated with social phobia are described. The Social Thoughts and Beliefs Scale (STABS) is designed to assess cognitions in individuals with social phobia. In the 1st study, an initial pool of 45 items was reduced to 21. In the 2nd study, psychometric features of the scale were examined in a sample of individuals with social phobia, other anxiety disorders, and no psychiatric disorder. Total scores and two factor scores significantly differentiated individuals with social phobia from those in the other groups and were found to have adequate test-retest reliability and internal consistency. Potential usefulness of the STABS for assessing cognitions associated with social phobia is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An examination of the discriminant validity of the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale.

Examined the discriminant validity of D. Watson and R. Friend's Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SAD) using the SAD, M. Patterson's Interpersonal Anxiety (IA) scale, and scales measuring affiliation, extroversion, and social desirability. Previous studies had shown high correlations between the SAD and affiliation (r = -.76), IA and extroversion (r = -.66), and an interest correlation of approximately .70 between SAD, IA, affiliation, and extroversion. Results for 209 Ss on the 5 tests indicate 3 factors: (a) social approach-avoidance (majority of SAD, affiliation, and extroversion items); (b) social anxiety (1/2 the IA scale items and the remaining SAD items); and (c) social desirability. Results indicate that the SAD measures primarily social approach-avoidance and secondarily social anxiety. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The factor structure and screening utility of the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale.

The widely used Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS; R. P. Mattick & J. C. Clarke, 1998) possesses favorable psychometric properties, but questions remain concerning its factor structure and item properties. Analyses included 445 people with social anxiety disorder and 1,689 undergraduates. Simple unifactorial models fit poorly, and models that accounted for differences due to item wording (i.e., reverse scoring) provided superior fit. It was further found that clients and undergraduates approached some items differently, and the SIAS may be somewhat overly conservative in selecting analogue participants from an undergraduate sample. Overall, this study provides support for the excellent properties of the SIAS's straightforwardly worded items, although questions remain regarding its reverse-scored items. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Revision of the Self-Monitoring Scale.

The 1st of 4 studies using a total of 732 undergraduates revealed that M. Snyder's (see record 1975-03047-001) self-monitoring scale exhibits a stable factor structure that does not correspond to the 5-component theoretical structure he presents. Sets of face-valid items that better approximate the theoretical structure are described (Studies 2–4). Correlations between these sets of items and measures of other constructs revealed that 4 of the 5 components are positively related to social anxiety. Effective social interaction is supposedly the high self-monitor's forte, and social anxiety appears to be incompatible with this. The correlational results therefore question the entire theory and indicate the need for a narrower definition of the construct. Adopting such a definition from Synder's review article (1979), the authors present a 13-item revised self-monitoring scale that measures only sensitivity to the expressive behavior of others and ability to modify self-presentation. A 20-item concern for appropriateness scale is also described, which measures 2 variables that are directly associated with social anxiety—cross-situational variability and attention to social comparison information. Both scales had acceptable internal consistency, and both yielded 2 subscale scores as well as a total score. Prospective users of either scale are advised to treat the 3 scores separately. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The value of the Parenting Scale for measuring the discipline practices of parents of middle school children

The psychometric properties of the Parenting Scale (Arnold, O'Leary, Wolff, and Acker, 1993), a 30-item instrument originally developed to assess the discipline practices of parents of preschool children, were examined for parents of middle school students. Subjects were 298 parents of middle school student identified as at-risk for problem behavior. An exploratory factor analysis identified two factors labeled 'Overreactivity' and 'Laxness', closely resembling two of the factors found by Arnold et al., but each of these factors contained only six items. Confirmatory factor analyses, using data from the first two assessments, replicated this factor structure. The factors were significantly correlated with measures of parents' behavior, with scales from the child Behavior Checklist and Parent Daily Reports, and with the Beck Depression Inventory. The Laxness factor was less robust than the Overreactivity factor.     

Drinking behaviors in social situations account for alcohol-related problems among socially anxious individuals.

Individuals with elevated social anxiety appear particularly vulnerable to experiencing alcohol-related problems. However, research has thus far failed to identify factors that seem to account for this relationship. The present study utilized a measure designed to assess alcohol-related behaviors related to social situations previously identified as anxiety-provoking among those with elevated social anxiety. The Drinking to Cope with Social Anxiety Scale (DCSAS) assessed alcohol-related behaviors in 24 social situations and was comprised of two subscales: Drinking to Cope in Social Situations and Avoidance of Social Situations if Alcohol was Unavailable. Both DCSAS scales demonstrated adequate internal consistency and were significantly, positively related to number of alcohol-related problems. Individuals with clinically meaningful social anxiety (n = 60) achieved higher scores on both DCSAS subscales compared to those with lower social anxiety (n = 60). Importantly, the DCSAS scales mediated the relationship between social anxiety group classification and alcohol-related problems. Results highlight the importance of contextual factors in assessing alcohol-related behaviors among high-risk populations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Career Decision Scale, My Vocational Situation, Vocational Rating Scale, and Decisional Rating Scale: Do they measure the same constructs?

Factor analyses were performed on the scale scores and items of the Career Decision Scale, My Vocational Situation, Vocational Rating Scale, and Decisional Rating Scale. Analysis of the scales revealed three factors that we named Crystallization, Decision-Making Obstacles, and Indecision. Five factors emerged from the analysis of the items, clarity, certainty, indecision, decision-making obstacles, and informational deficit. Only the first three factors were stable. The two factor structures were related. Crystallization comprised clarity and certainty items, and Decision-Making Obstacles comprised a more limited range of decision-making obstacles and informational-deficit items, plus additional items from the My Vocational Situation Vocational Identity scale. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Lennox and Wolfe.

In the article, "Revision of the Self-Monitoring Scale," by Richard D. Lennox and Raymond N. Wolfe (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1984, Vol. 46, No. 6, 1349-1364), an error appears on p. 1358, left-hand column, line 6 of text. The word Neuroticism is incorrect; it should be Extraversion. Thus the first full sentence on p. 13S8 should read as follows: But ability to modify self-presentation yields a pattern different from that of the other two subscales: It is significantly related to EPQ Extraversion, whereas the other two are not, and it is not significantly related to EPQ Neuroticism or to fear of negative evaluation, whereas the other two are. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1984-27678-001) The 1st of 4 studies using a total of 732 undergraduates revealed that M. Snyder's (see record 1975-03047-001) self-monitoring scale exhibits a stable factor structure that does not correspond to the 5-component theoretical structure he presents. Sets of face-valid items that better approximate the theoretical structure are described (Studies 2-4). Correlations between these sets of items and measures of other constructs revealed that 4 of the 5 components are positively related to social anxiety. Effective social interaction is supposedly the high self-monitor's forte, and social anxiety appears to be incompatible with this. The correlational results therefore question the entire theory and indicate the need for a narrower definition of the construct. Adopting such a definition from Synder's review article (1979), the authors present a 13-item revised self-monitoring scale that measures only sensitivity to the expressive behavior of others and ability to modify self-presentation. A 20-item concern for appropriateness scale is also described, which measures 2 variables that are directly associated with social anxiety--cross-situational variability and attention to social comparison information. Both scales had acceptable internal consistency, and both yielded 2 subscale scores as well as a total score. Prospective users of either scale are advised to treat the 3 scores separately. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do You "Want" to Play? Distinguishing Between Conflicted Shyness and Social Disinterest in Early Childhood.

This study attempted to distinguish two types of social withdrawal in early childhood: (a) one based on social fear and anxiety despite a desire to interact socially (conflicted shyness) and (b) one based on the lack of a strong motivation to engage in social interaction (social disinterest). Two samples of preschoolers (n = 119 and n = 127) 3-5 years of age participated. Their mothers completed the newly developed Child Social Preference Scale, which was designed to assess conflicted shyness and social disinterest. Maternal ratings of child temperament, parenting style, and social goals, teacher ratings of child social adjustment, observations of child free-play behaviors, and child interview assessments of perceived competence and preference for playing with peers were also collected. Distinct patterns of associations were found between conflicted shyness and social disinterest and outcome variables. Implications for the motivational underpinnings and adjustment outcomes of shyness and social disinterest are explored (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Depressive Symptom Scale for the California Psychological Inventory: Construct Validation of the CPI-D.

To facilitate life span research on depressive symptomatology, a depressive symptom scale for the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) is needed. The authors constructed such a scale (the CPI-D) and compared its psychometric properties with 2 widely used self-report depression scales: the Beck Depression Inventory and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Construct validity of the CPI-D was examined in 3 studies. Study 1 established content validity, classifying CPI-D items into Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition depressive symptoms. Study 2 used 3 large samples to gather evidence for reliability and validity: Correlational analyses demonstrated alpha reliability and convergent and discriminant validity; factor analysis provided evidence for discriminant validity with anxiety; and regression analyses demonstrated comparative validity with existing standard PI scales. Study 3 used clinician ratings of depression and anxiety as criteria for external validity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychometric properties of the French and English versions of the Social Phobia Inventory.

The Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN; Connor et al., 2000) is a self-report measure assessing fear, avoidance, and physiological symptoms associated with social anxiety. To date, the psychometric properties of this English-language measure have been examined primarily in individuals with social phobia. This study examined the psychometric properties of the English SPIN and a newly developed French version of the SPIN in nonclinical groups of undergraduate students. The SPIN, along with several other questionnaires, was completed by 202 English-speaking and 222 French-speaking participants in their respective languages from three different universities. A subset of participants completed the questionnaire a second time approximately one month later to assess test-retest reliability. The SPIN total score exhibited excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability, as well as strong convergent and divergent validity in both English and French. A revised confirmatory factor analysis suggested the three-factor model of the SPIN was a good fit in French and English; however, the psychometric properties of the fear, avoidance, and physiology subscales were not as strong as those of the total score of the SPIN. The excellent psychometric properties of the English and French SPIN total score support the use of this measure not only in clinical populations, but now also in a nonclinical student sample. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factor analysis of the Test Anxiety Scale and evidence concerning the components of test anxiety.

The scores of 1,200 undergraduates on Sarason's Test Anxiety Scale were factor analyzed. The analysis involved rotation to an orthogonal structure that produced 2 factors that accounted, respectively, for 53.45% and 31.50% of the total variance. Both cognitive "worry" and "emotionality" items loaded strongly on the 1st factor, which appears to reflect worry about oneself and one's performance on tests and a variety of physical and emotional consequences of this intense worry. The 2nd factor seems to reflect emotional distress in testing situations, but no worry or interference with performance, in persons who appear to lack a strong achievement orientation. Subscales based on these 2 factors were negatively correlated. Implications for the 2-component theory of test anxiety are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development and Preliminary Validation of the Physiological Hyperarousal Scale for Children.

Considerable empirical support exists for the positive affect and negative affect components of the tripartite model of anxiety and depression proposed by L. A. Clark and D. Watson (1991); however, less attention has been paid to the physiological hyperarousal component of the model. The development of the Physiological Hyperarousal Scale for Children (PH-C; J. Laurent, S. J. Catanzaro, & T. E. Joiner Jr., 1995) is described. The psychometric properties of items are examined using students in Grades 6-12 (N = 398). Initial scale validation includes a joint factor analysis with the Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children (PANAS-C; J. Laurent et al., 1999; J. Laurent, K. Potter, & S. J. Catanzaro, 1994). The relationship between the PH-C and existing measures that tap related constructs is examined. Together, the PH-C and PANAS-C provide a means to assess tripartite model constructs useful in differentiating anxiety and depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A new inventory to assess childhood social anxiety and phobia: The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children.

The development, reliability, and validity of a new instrument, the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C), is described. The results indicate that the SPAI-C has high test–retest reliability and internal consistency. In addition, an assessment of concurrent and external validity indicates statistically significant correlations with commonly used self-report measures of general anxiety and fears and parental reports of children's anxiety and social competence. The results of a factor analysis indicate that the scale consists of three factors: Assertiveness/General Conversation, Traditional Social Encounters, and Public Performance. Finally, scores on the SPAI-C successfully differentiate socially anxious and non-socially-anxious children. The instrument appears to be a reliable and valid measure for childhood social anxiety and fear and may prove useful for improving clinical assessment and documenting treatment outcome. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reliability and validity of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for adolescents.

Although social anxiety is known to be common among adolescents, there are no self-report measures with demonstrated reliability and validity for this population. The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI) is a measure of social anxiety developed for adults. The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of the SPAI for adolescents. The sample consisted of 223 adolescents (aged 12–18 yrs) from both clinical and community sources. Confirmatory factor analysis established the validity of the 2 separate factors of Social Phobia and Agoraphobia. Reliability estimates by Cronbach alpha were acceptable for the SPAI subscales and total. The SPAI demonstrated good construct validity, showing statistically significant relationships with independent measures of social phobia and other anxiety variables. The results demonstrate that the SPAI is a reliable and valid measure of social phobia for adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social anxiety, anxious self-preoccupation, and recall of self-relevant information.

Theoretical and empirical efforts concerning cognitive processes associated with anxiety have typically emphasized either cognitive deficits (i.e., reduced learning, memory, and task performance) or cognitive excesses (i.e., increased self-focused, ruminative thought). Evidence of these 2 types of cognitive processes has primarily been based on different types of sources (performance measures and self-reports), which precludes direct comparisons of the extent to which cognitive deficits and/or excesses characterize anxiety states. The present study attempted to directly compare the cognitive excesses and deficits associated with social anxiety by operationalizing both types of cognitive phenomena with similar performance measures. 97 undergraduates, selected on the basis of high or low scores on the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale, performed a modified self-referent depth-of-processing paradigm under stress or no-stress conditions. Socially anxious Ss in a socially evaluative situation evidenced a specific type of cognitive excess (i.e., concern over evaluations by others) but not cognitive deficits. Results are discussed in terms of person-by-situation models of anxiety and the nature and treatment of social anxiety. (42 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Analyse psychométrique d'une adaptation en langue fran?aise de l'échelle de Conscience de Sol.

The present work is an attempt to assess the psychometric properties of an adaptation in French of the Self-Consciousness Scale developed by Fenigstein, Scheier, and Buss (1975). The scale is composed of 23 items, distributed in three subscales: private self-consciousness (SC), public SC, and social anxiety. The French version was administered to three distinct samples: two groups of undergraduate students (n = 196; n = 217) and a third one of psychologists (n = 411). Overall, results show that each subscale is homogeneous with appropriate test-retest reliabilities over a two-week period. As expected, private and public SC correlate moderately, whereas social anxiety and private SC are not related Principal components factor analyses show that the scale is in fact composed of three orthogonal factors, in accordance with the three scales. The results in general point to the adequacy of the current adaptation in French of the Self-Consciousness Scale, which presents the same basic properties as the original. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development of a new Fear of Hypoglycemia Scale: FH-15.

Hypoglycemia is the most common adverse event associated with insulin treatment in diabetes. The consequences of hypoglycemia can be quite aversive and potentially life threatening. The physical sequelae provide ample reason for patients to fear hypoglycemia and avoid episodes. For these reasons, our purpose in this study was to develop a new measure that explores specific fear of hypoglycemia (FH) in adult patients with type 1 diabetes and to examine its psychometric properties. The instrument developed to assess FH was initially made up of 20 items, of which 18 were negative and 2 were positive, assessed on a 5-point Likert scale (1–5). This scale was completed by 229 patients with type 1 diabetes. Additionally, a structured interview and a closed question called subjective fear of hypoglycemia were included as diagnostic criteria. A factor analysis employing the principal-components method and promax rotation was carried out, resulting in a new scale composed of 15 items. Three factors (fear, avoidance, and interference) were obtained and explained 58.27% of the variance. The scale showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .891) and test–retest reliability (r = .908, p